Many secure Content Management Systems like Drupal have switched over to Composer to install the CMS as well as to manage the website installed using such CMS. Even Wordpress is modernizing to incorporate Composer, and there are already tutorials on how to install / manage Wordpress site using composer, though presently Wordpress doesn't need Composer.
Composer is a PHP package manager, which may be used to install specific modules or extensions in a specific folder, which may be required if the said modules or extensions are not already present in the global PHP installation on a server. For a large PHP hosting project, or a CMS with a lot of plugins / modules / extensions, managing dependencies can be a nightmare. Tracking of so many libraries, your CMS / module / extension / plugin is dependent on, may be very tedious. The PHP Composer comes to the rescue exactly for this purpose. Composer has a very powerful dependency manager, one may execute on any Linux command line or SSH. Composer makes the website development process much more streamlined and efficient. With already pre-set dependencies and libraries, developers no longer need to start their projects from scratch.
Though the Composer may be installed on a good shared web hosting plan (not all, as it requires SSH - Secure Shell Protocol), it is often intimidating to an average site builder or developer. The switching over from Drupal 7, which did not require Composer, to Drupal 10 or Drupal 11, which requires Composer itself is an onerous task, no need to mention about installation of Composer.
Hence, if there are good shared web hosting plans, which provides pre-installed Composer, it will be easier for an average website builder to start using it to install a CMS like Drupal 11. If one is trying to find the best shared web hosting, with Composer already installed by the web hosting provider, it is a big time saver. Else, developers on the site building project will have to install Composer using command line tools using an SSH connection.
This review lists the top 5 and the best shared web hosting providers with pre-installed Composer to help you get your Drupal 10 site up and running fast.
- Bluehost provides the best shared web hosting, with preinstalled Composer. Composer is installed by default on the Bluehost Shared, VPS, and Dedicated web hosting plans. For Indian customers, Bluehost.in also offers Composer by default, which is already installed by the web host provider, and there is no need to install the same by the developer, though, unfortunately, the sales assistants on the chat support are not aware of this!
- The great news is that the PHP Composer comes pre-installed in every InMotion Hosting Shared Web Hosting plan. If you’re thinking about hosting your PHP app with InMotion Hosting, they have got everything you need to get started. They allow the customers to connect through SSH Protocol. They guarantee that the PHP version used for the domains is indeed compatible with the Composer.
- HostGator has, by default, Composer is installed on their Shared, VPS, and Dedicated hosting servers. At HostGator, developers should enable the Shell access with SSH and sync with Composer and with the PHP version used on websites individually.
- SiteGround is web hosting provider which pre-installs the latest version of PHP Composer and keeps its platform updated. However, a few projects may require a different version of Composer than the one already installed on the server by default. SiteGround has a tutorial to guide you through the process of installing a different version of Composer on your website, if you need.
- Composer comes pre-installed on Hostinger’s Premium and Business web hosting plans as well as on it's cloud hosting plans. However, if you feel your version of Composer is outdated and the latest version is needed, you may proceed with the local installation process using the linked tutorial.
We have used the shared web hosting provided by bluehost.com, bluehost.in, as well as InMotion hosting and our recommendation is to try and use one of these two hosting providers.
